Becoming an Heiress by Leighton
by BrainStormer
Summary: Title subject to change. Meet upcoming heiress Leighton Mitchell: Sophisticated, no-nonsense, exceptional student at Ouran Academy. For her nothing can go wrong; except when it does. Her parents blame her for most everything because of one slip in the past, and she does everything to make up for it. She isn't a child anymore, so why do certain redheads seem to pull it out of her?
1. 1- Meet Leighton Mitchell

**This is a story I found that I must have written over a year ago. I went back and changed a few things and I'm not sure if I'll continue with it but I'll post what I've got I suppose. Hope you all enjoy and don't be afraid to leave a review!**

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The day wasn't a special day. It was boring; bland. The most exciting thing that had happened the whole afternoon was my math test I had gotten back. 100%. Even the happiness on that was vague and half-hearted. I could hear my father's voice booming to me as I brought back my first perfect score.

" _Well that's to be expected of a Mitchell!"_

I sighed as I packed up my things. I had tried lowering the score, just to get their attention, but that only resulted in a stern "You can do better," and the subject was dropped. I'm not sure what I was expecting, exactly, but it wasn't that. Now it was just expected that I get high scores.

Looking around, I noticed some of my acquaintances gathering towards me. I would use the term 'friends' but I didn't know them too well. I was too busy for friends; especially from this class. They all had pleasant smiles on their faces, and were definitely heading for me. I shot my fake smile in their direction.

"Hello ladies, what can I do for you?" I asked them as nicely as possible. Another reason (perhaps the main reason) they weren't my friends was because some of them (read: most) were snottier than hell. My parents had informed me, however, that making enemies at this school was not wise. I might tarnish the family name.

One of the girls, Koni I think her name was, giggled at my statement. Unfortunately for me, I hadn't studied Japanese or been here long enough to form the proper accent, and was stuck with my cockney tone. Many of the students in my class found it cute. I thought it was slightly butchering their language.

"Leighton-Chan, don't you think you've been working too hard? All you ever do is study!" Chiharo questioned with a smile on her face. _Oh yes,_ I thought _, I study while you and your friends do whatever because you aren't the heir to your family's wealth. That would be your older brother_. I collected information. It was a hobby of mine. I wouldn't call it stalking, and I wouldn't call it invading, I just looked-for tidbits that might become useful one day. Unlike her, I was an heiress.

I smiled. "You can never work too hard!" My smile stretched into a grin as I lifted my arm to show the little muscle I had. "Gives me all sorts of muscle, see?"

The girls laughed at my statement. I could assume what they were thinking. _Oh Leighton, only you._ "If you change your mind…" Koni trailed off, looking at the door. A certain person had just walked by, gaining the attention of the females in the room. "You know where we'll be, Leighton-Chan..." She drifted out the door after the rest of the girls, trying to catch up.

I almost snorted. I would have, had there not been people still in the classroom. Oh, I knew where they would be. I could say the same for just about every other mindless girl in this school. They flocked there, every day. _The Host Club._

I understood the appeal and the goal. For the girls, they can go and get treated like a princess. It could be like a dream come true. And there were seven cute guys. A body is naturally drawn to a possible mating partner. On the Host side of things, they get to make the girls feel special, make a profit, and help people achieve happiness.

The whole plan, however, falls in on itself. When you consider the girls that got a bit too carried away, it's destined to fail. One thing you must realize in business is the emotions of the public. I had destroyed a company this way. A year back. It was a small company. My Parents had said they had tried talking sense into the owners. They wouldn't listen. _Father said they were destined to fail anyw-_

I shut my eyes. No, that's all in the past. _If I don't move forward, then I'll fall through the floor_. I took a deep breath before opening my eyes. A pair of dark brown ones met mine instantly. I jumped back at the sudden proximity of the boy, startled that I had missed his approach. I didn't usually miss things _._

"Ah! Mitchell-san. I was wondering if I could finally convince you to join the music club!" Kenta started in. I let out a small breath and smiled softly. The boy was persistent, I'd give him that.

I straightened myself and fixed my uniform. I was not fond of the yellow ball gown. It was, albeit, a bit better than the middle school uniform I had worn for half a year. For such a fancy school, it amazed me why Ouran decided to shove its students into atrocious attire. Even the male uniform was less than satisfactory. "Fukui-san, I don't want to sound rude, but I _am_ very busy and don't have time to be playing violin or flute all day. But I do thank you for the offer, and I might stop in at another time." I flashed a smile at the boy and walked out of the room.

I had been taught many different musical instruments at a young age. My parents used to love hearing music drifting through the house. But after the incident I barely ever touched anything having to do with music. He only continued asking because that club had barely enough for a small band. He had heard me play in music class once.

I made my way towards the office, not thinking about much. I was busy, and I rarely ever got the time to rest my mind. The silence was refreshing. If it wasn't for the fact that I had twenty million things to do, I would just go home and relax. I hadn't slept much the night before, cramming every second into studying.

The silence was short lived, as the main office was only a flight of stairs downward. I was slightly upset, sighing to myself while I opened the door. Once this was done, perhaps I could allow myself a small nap. Just an hour. I smiled to myself, enjoying how that sounded. _Just an hour of nothing._ Considering all the hours I put into everything else, I found this was well deserved.

The secretary at the front desk noticed me when I came in. "Oh! Mitchell-sama. Your maid delivered somethi-"

I smiled and cut her off with an "I am aware, Kita-sama." She instantly shut up and went back to typing. Almost all the staff was frightened of me. It was either because of my family, or my gathered knowledge on all of them.

" _Now Leighton, I need you to understand something about staying informed of your associates," My mother had started. "Only make it known that you have information when it benefits_ you. _If you mess it up and blabbing, they'll be out for your head."_

The only reason they all knew was because I had very, _very_ briefly mentioned Mrs. Hayashi's recent divorce to the woman herself. She was shocked, asking how I knew about it. I slipped and said simply "I know a lot of things." The teachers and staff were now frightened of which secret I would blurt out next.

I sighed at the frightened expression on Ms. Kita's face. She had a boyfriend who was twice her age and then some, but was scared to tell anyone. She was only 24. Kita was a very sweet girl; I'd give her that, but had no idea what she was getting into with the man. I rubbed my arm. It wasn't my business.

I picked up the three boxes on the counter and started thinking of how I wanted to do this. Luckily, today it wasn't any china. I had almost broken a plate the last time. My parents never found out, but… I shook my head. It wasn't that heavy, I could easily carry all three so long as no one ran into me. Something you wouldn't think happens a lot, but in this school it does. As if the whole school was the setting of some sort of teenage romance novel.

I was making my way back out the door when Ms. Kita started shouting a warning at me. I glanced back at her, curious as I kept walking. Out of nowhere a banana peel was under my foot, causing me to nearly slip and crash with the boxes. I screeched out, trying to protect the product in my arms. I skidded a bit, not enjoying the falling feeling it gave me, before running smack into the wall. I quickly looked over the boxes, assessing damage done to them. None.

I looked at my arm, which was now bruising at a strange rate. Enraged, I whirled on Ms. Kita and started spouting out words.

"Idiot! Do you know what would have happened had these boxes been damaged? You would owe a large sum of money to my family, money you really don't have, do you _Kita-san."_ I spat her name out viciously, taking a moment for the fear to settle in her face before continuing. "It is your job to keep this room clean. Could you possibly be more careless?! I should have you fired!"

Her face contorted to so many different emotions before settling on ashamed. "I-I-I'm-m-m s-s-sor-sorry. I'm s-s-so sor-r-ry, Mitchell-sama. P-pl-please don't get me f-fir-fired. This j-job is all I h-hav-have." She began sobbing, causing me to flinch. My hard and enraged eyes softened.

Great, now what was I doing? Exploding on innocent bystanders? She had tried to warn me. I was acting childishly again. All my fear and anger had been channeled at the poor woman. I sighed and turned to her, not really wanting to apologize, but not wanting her to cry. "Just…just be sure this does not happen again, alright? I will be going now."

She stopped sobbing and looked at me, all kinds of confused. I didn't let her speak however, because I was out of there so fast I could be considered a ghost. I walked hurriedly. I was such a child. My parents were right. I could never inherit the businesses if this is how I acted. But… I was just so frightened the moment that peel hit my foot; I saw everything that would happen. The shipment ruined, having to explain to my parents, never getting the titles that were rightfully mine. I freaked, needing to blame someone else. But was I entirely wrong? I wouldn't have slipped if she would just do her damn job. But no, instead she spends the day IM'ing her forty year old boyfriend.

I stopped once I reached the stairs. This school was a maze, and if you let your mind wander you would never find your way out. I climbed slowly, trying not to tip the already shaken up boxes. I looked at the clock. Because of my outburst, I would now be late. I sighed in annoyance, not liking the idea of screwing up once again. I quickened my pace until I was there.

 _Music Room 3, where all the magic happens._ I laughed dry-ly at my own joke. Magic was an understatement. They literally paid to get rose petals that would pelt you in the face. It was a stupid addition. It wasn't profitable in my opinion.

I opened the door, the hosts already in swing. _I should have been here five minutes ago, before opening time_. I groaned inwardly and glanced around the room. Tamaki had not yet noticed, luckily, but just about everyone else turned their head when I walked in. The girls, not seeing anyone special, went back to their hosts. The hosts, however, noticed who exactly I was.

Hikaru and Kaoru waved slightly, going back to their 'brotherly love' routine. It kind of sickened me. Incest just wasn't attractive to me. I smiled politely in return, but I doubt they noticed. They never notice. It doesn't bother me any, I could care less what they notice and don't. I didn't come here for them.

Haruhi, who I was almost 3000% sure was indeed female, looked up with big brown eyes that some part of me wanted to squeal at. I knew she owed the host club, but I was positive she was cross dressing. It wasn't really my business, but if I ever needed blackmail information it would suffice. You really can't get much dirt on the host club. She smiled in my direction waving. Her guests glanced back over to me, also smiling and waving.

Takashi glanced at me once and nodded, but Mitsukini was a different story. He noticed and instantly bounced over.

"Leigh-chan! Will you come eat cake with us? It's your favorite!" He held up the plate and I instantly recognized the red velvet and chocolate mix. I had created the design, actually. It was one of the rare times my mother praised me in my culinary skill.

I smiled down at the shorter third-year. Shifting my boxes uncomfortably, I shook my head. "Sorry, Haninozuka-sempai. I'm here on business. Maybe another time?"

The blonde boy seemed to deflate, not really liking my answer. "But that's what you said last time. Please? You're always just here for business!"

It's really hard not to treat him like a child. I constantly had to remind myself that he was, in fact, 17 years old. I plastered on another smile. It wasn't that I didn't like the boy; it was that I was busy, and wouldn't be caught dead in the host club if it wasn't for business. "I promise you, I will find time someday to eat cake with you. I just have a very busy schedule, Haninozuka-senpai."

Satisfied with my answer, he bounced right back over to his table, where the girls gave me odd looks. I was never usually in here during club hours, so for them I suppose it was strange. I turned towards my actual destination, not liking the look Kyoya was giving me. He knew I was late, I knew I was late, but he didn't have to give me a look like that.

I headed over there, but apparently not fast enough. I let out a small gasp when a huge rush of air stole my boxes from me. Starting to protest, I spun to see who exactly thought it was a good idea to cross me. There, in all of his holy blondeness, was the Hosting King. I mentally slapped myself for being stupid. I walked right past his table. I was such an idiot!

He gave me one of his supposedly dazzling smiles. "Oh, but Princess, you shouldn't have to carry such heavy boxes. Let me handle these."

It took all I had not to turn and yell at him. Tamaki was an idiot. A good guy, but an idiot. His intentions were always genuine and sincere, but his actions were impulsive and…childish. _But wasn't yelling also childish_? I shook the thought from my head and smiled at the guy. "Thank you, Suoh-san, but I really could have handled it just fine."

He dramatically threw an arm over my shoulder. "Oh, but Leighton-chan! You are a delicate flower and should not push yourself so hard." I smiled, albeit a get-the-fuck-off smile, but it was the most politeness I could muster. He glanced at my face and retreated quickly. "Right, then. Kyoya, where should I place these?"

Kyoya looked up from his typing with a bemused smile. "The kitchen, Tamaki. Where else?"

Tamaki's guests were sad to see him march off, and instantly turned to see who had taken their King away. I glanced at them once and each and every one of them flinched. _You don't mess with Leighton Mitchell._ It was a rumor that had gone around in middle school when I lashed out at a boy for trying to tease me. Apparently prepubescent boys don't like it when you threaten to destroy their family business while punching them into the ground. I was too rash then, or at least that's what my parents had told me. I was a lot better now, but the message stuck.

I opened my bag and brought out the clipboard. It had all the business information, and I required a signature. The paper was already littered with his name, from the multiple transactions he had made. We'd been doing this for a while. He was a faithful client to my parents.

"Sorry I'm late. I got caught up at the office." He dismissed it easily, but I could tell he still wasn't pleased. "I'll need your signature, Ootori-san. It looks like I might need a new sheet soon, too." I threw in the small joke and he smiled humorlessly. Our relationship was purely business, nothing more and nothing less.

"Yes, I suppose this one is getting rather full," He noted as he effortlessly signed his name. "Would you prefer the check for next week's shipment now or then?" the question was pointless, seeing how it was company policy that you don't pay until you have what you paid for. I guess he was being polite.

I gave a faint, fake smile. "You know I can't take it now, Ootori-san. Will it be the usual shipment for next week?"

He gave me one of his own plastered smiles. Business was so stiff. "Yes, but I will also need an extra dozen cakes for our theme. Could you possibly bring in a tropical design?"

I nodded, writing it down on the order slip. "Of course, Ootori-san. Anything else? I could get you a deal on sparkling pineapple juice with the cakes. You are a valued customer at Harris Sweets, you know."

We talked business for a few more minutes, getting everything straightened out. This is what I did. Every Thursday, I'd come to the Host Club and deliver their food. It was how my parents wanted me introduced to the business, or at least _one_ of them. They bought shares in just about everything, were on several boards in other companies, and owned a few small businesses as well. It was never ending. They wanted part in everything.

I left the room soon after, tucking my clipboard into my bag. Mitsukini had come up to say goodbye, but that was about it. Boring day, boring ending. I checked the time on my phone and cursed. I spent more time in there than I wanted to. I was extremely behind schedule. I started murmuring all the things that still needed to be done when, believe it or not, someone _ran into me._ It was only the fifth time this week.

"I'm so sorry, Leighton-senpai! Please forgive me!" The boy started to stand, holding his hand out for me. I saw just who it was and smiled. A genuine smile, actually. "Chika-senpai was worried and sent me out to look for you. Are you alright?"

Ah, Daiki Saito, future owner of Saito journalism. Current reporter for _The Ouran Daily._ He was possibly the brightest journalist in there. I however was not a journalist. The title of Manger was mine. I took care of all our paperwork, complaints, and club activities. Chika Maki was Editor and Chief.

"So sorry, Saito-san. I was finishing business." He knew of my weekly routine with Music Room 3. He was one of the few I could almost call a friend.

He rolled his eyes. "It's always business with you. And besides, you know it's _Daiki-kun,_ not _Saito-san._ C'mon." He grabbed my hand and led me down the stairs to Meeting Room 2. I almost laughed. He had a sort of delusion that we were the best of friends, despite my distancing. He was determined.

"Chika-senpai! I've got Leighton-senpai!" He shouted to the very quiet room. Oh boy. _Here it com-_

"LEIGHTON-CHAN I WAS SO WORRIED OH MY GOSH I WAS AFRAID THAT HOST CLUB JUST SWALLOWED YOU UP ARE YOU OKAYYYYYYYYY?!"

I winced as she pulled me into a hug, thus shouting straight into my ear. Chika Maki, ladies and gentleman. A true piece of work. I disentangled myself from her, sighing as she tried to cling right back. "I'm fine, Maki-senpai. Just a bit behind schedule. I'm only fifteen minutes late, anyway."

I felt so much more at home here than I did at my actual home. I didn't have maids everywhere, there were no judgmental parents, and I could just sit down and work quietly. At home, it was always either too silent or too loud. One party after another, that's how my mother liked to work. My father always had associates over, my mother had clients, and it was torture.

Chika didn't like me using her last name either. It was a habit I had formed while attending the many parties of Sophia Mitchell. No friendly suffixes for me. Not that I really liked using them anyway. "I will be addressed as Chika-chan and nothing else!" She proclaimed.

I grinned. "Sorry, Chika-chan. So, where are my financial papers?"


	2. 2- Dinner Mitchell-Style

**I'm posting these in accordance to how they were broken up when I found it so I'm just putting them at once. Might be another chapter? Not sure. Enjoy :)**

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It was 5:00 when I got home. I was looking forward to the nap I promised myself, when my phone rang. It was my mother, informing me that we would have guests over, and to be on my best behavior. I immediately had my driver take me to the nearest coffee shop.

Groaning, I pulled myself up the stairs to my bedroom. I hated our spiral staircase. It was far too elaborate for my taste. And it meant going in tons of circles. My room was in the third hall, fourth door on the right. I had no idea why we needed so many rooms. Okay, well I kind of understood but it still wasn't fun. We had three master bedrooms, four regular, and five guest rooms. There were at least six bathrooms in this mansion, as well. It takes a good five minutes to get from the front door to my room. There are three wings to the house, and I reside in the left wing. My parents are in the right, and the three small rooms we have for the staff are on the right. The main house holds the kitchen, dining room, swimming pool, indoor garden ( I still don't understand that one), and several other sitting areas. My side has the media room, guest rooms, and more sitting rooms. I do have my own personal bathroom, though. The Right Wing holds meeting rooms, studies, the library, ballroom, and whatever else my parents put over there.

I finally made it to my room, and then crashed on my bed. It was still very plain, with beige walls and cream colored furniture. I stopped decorating it like I used to after the incident. The first year, I had gone into rampage and painted it black, but I quickly got over it and found a neutral color I could agree with.

There wasn't anything very special about my room, besides the fact that it was always clean. But I had maids who picked up everything. I tried telling them last year that I was perfectly capable of cleaning my own room, but they insisted. I just think they wanted a job that didn't include rubbing the purple wine stains out of the carpet. I was easy to pick up after. I was rarely ever home, and when I was I was studying.

I sighed and checked my phone. While most kids at Ouran got the most expensive model they could find, I got exclusive access to the PineApple phones that hadn't even come out yet. There was a whole room of them at my Father's building, and every three months he would take me over to pick a new one. It was his company, after all.

I had three texts and a voicemail. The first text was from my cousin May, who stated she was coming over in two weeks for a surprise visit to Father, so don't tell. I rolled my eyes. My Father adored May. More than his own daughter. I didn't quite understand it, but she was his favorite niece. She liked him just the same. I replied with an 'okay.'

The next text was from Kyoya, regarding next week's shipment. He sent me the details of what exactly he wanted on the cakes, and I quickly grabbed my notes to copy it down before I forgot. When I first opened it, I was worried it was going to be something bad about the shipment I brought in today. The boxes weren't damaged but I had no idea what the inside looked like. When asked about the quality, he responded that everything was in order, as usual.

The final message was sent by Chika. She was wondering if I would be attending her parents' party next Friday. I shot a text back, explaining I could try to make it, but I was certain there was something in my schedule. She instantly replied. "You're always busy," I read aloud. I sighed. "That is something I won't deny, Chika."

I opened up my voicemail, only to get a message from Mother. "Oh Leighton. You must be busy getting ready. I wanted to tell you that the guests will be there a bit earlier than expected, so I need you to entertain them for a while. I'll be home at around 6:30. They'll be there at 6. Please don't mess this up for me. Oh, and Leighton? Please change your voicemail. I don't think I can bear it anymore."

I sighed and looked at the time; Five fifteen. I'd have to hurry to get ready in time. Did she want me dressed formally? Not so formally? Who was it that was coming over? I hopped to my closet and rummaged around. I had a nice Kimono I could wear. Did she want me in a Kimono? No, I didn't like them that much.

After searching for about ten minutes, I located a semi-formal dress I could wear. It wasn't terribly extravagant, more like a casual dress. It stopped about mid-thigh and cinched at the waist. The skirt part of it was loose, and I had to put on some shorts under it. The fit was a bit tight, as if it were meant for someone shorter. The color had faded. After a moment I realized why I didn't have this dress out in front with the others. _It wasn't mine._

I threw the thing back where it was, as if it were made of a billion spiders. I closed my eyes and began muttering to myself. "You have to keep going forward. You don't want to fall through the floor. Keep going. Forward. Forward…." I was hyperventilating, memories surfacing that shouldn't. I'd worked hard to shove them down.

Once I finally calmed down, I grabbed a different dress. It was velvety olive green and went to my knees. The top part was a bit tight and revealing for my liking, but I liked the halter. The skirt flared out and was covered in intricate swirling designs; nothing like the other one. Perfect.

I strapped on my wedges and walked into the bathroom. I enjoyed my heels, as they made me so much taller. I wasn't exactly short, being at the 5'6 I was, but in heels I could be tall; more in control. My wedges offered at least four inches. I quickly did my makeup and curled my wavy hair.

Mother used to gush at me and claim I was the spitting image of her when she was my age. The dark hair, light eyes, round face sort of deal. It was all I ever wanted: being like my mother. Her attitude towards our likeness nowadays was a bit less enthusiastic. "I suppose," she would say, "but all those mistakes? I was far more responsible."

Once finished, I checked the time. 6:00. Perfect. I ran down the stairs to make my way over to the main building, where we would have dinner. I paused when I heard voices. Oh no, were they already here? I stopped my running and walked into the front room. Room is sort of an understatement though.

"-said that her daughter would be here to greet us" I heard a woman's voice. The guests, but who were they?

I glanced over to see a woman, about thirty to forty, talking to my butler. She had sort of auburn hair, and a calm smile. She was gorgeous, but I just couldn't place where I had seen her before. It took a moment of calculating, when I realized she said 'us.'

A quick glance around made me realize who I would be dining with tonight. Hikaru and Kaoru stood a ways back from their mother, looking around bored. One of them saw me, however, and his eyes went wide. I cursed silently to myself. I should have paid more attention to my mother's messages about her guests tonight. Their mother was still having conversation with Arata, but when the twins nudged her and pointed, she stopped all conversation.

"Oh, you must be Mitchell, Leighton." She greeted kindly. Arata, seeing he was no longer needed, left the room to go check on supper. I bowed politely and nodded. "I'm Hitachiin, Yuzuha. These are my sons, Hikaru and Kaoru." She gestured back towards the twins, who were now suddenly interested in me.

I nodded. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Hitachiin-sama. And nice to see you two once again today." I bowed to Hikaru and Kaoru.

Being polite, they bowed back in unison. " **The pleasure is all ours,"** They said, full host mode. I often heard of the silly antics they did at school, including the 'Which One is Hikaru Game!' I personally had never bothered to attempt to tell the two apart, as I didn't associate with them. However, I knew for a fact that they were not identical. I knew a thing or two about twins, and no two people are exactly alike. I felt a small memory bubbling, and I quickly stuffed it down. Not in front of guests.

"Please, come in and sit. My mother should be here shortly, she works late hours." I explained, inviting them all to sit down on the couch. Once everyone was comfortable, I started up some small talk. "So, Hitachiin-sama, you are a fashion designer, yes?"

She smiled. "Yes, I am. I'm working on a new line currently, and…." I continued half listening. If there is one thing you should know about designers of any kind, it's that they can really get talking about their work. Yuzuha was no different from my mother.

I nodded and smiled in all of the right places, just like I was taught to. This is what I would have to do, once I owned the family business. I didn't really see myself getting PineApple, as I was sure May would inherit that, but my mother's businesses were all mine. She hated her nephews with a passion. Mostly because she hated her sister. The only family members she got along with on her side were her cousin Valerie and her mother.

The twins were very polite while their mother spoke, and kept staring at me as if I was some new creature. Like they wanted to try out a new toy, but couldn't until they got home. It made me slightly uncomfortable. I shifted in my seat, glancing at them every so often. When was my mother returning?

Speak of the devil and she will come. The front door opened, and in flew my mother, still wearing her sundress and sunhat. Her sun glasses were brand new, never been worn before today. She was carrying a few bags for work.

"Hello. I'm sorry to keep you waiting for so long. I got a bit tied up at work. The girls were being a bit uncooperative." She went to shake Yuzuha's hand, and then realized we were still in Japan. She quickly recovered and bowed. "It's a pleasure to have you come over for dinner tonight, Hitachiin-sama." She said politely.

The redheaded woman laughed. "I know how that can get. My girls can have outrageous demands at times. And thank you for inviting us. It's Yuzuha."

My mother grinned. She much preferred first names. Or maybe she was excited at the idea of being close to such a fashion giant. "Yuzuha-sama, then."

Arata came in and quickly took my mother's things. "Dinner is ready, Ma'am." He said before stalking off. Arata had been with us for a while, unlike the maids. He was here before... Before things went bad. He was very understanding of our family.

"Ah!" She said brightly. "Perfect timing then. Let us all go and eat. Arata will take your jackets once in there."

..

The dinner was ok. I'd certainly had better. The Hitachiins were quick to compliment it, however. Etiquette. My mother hadn't even thought about the fact that we were in _Japan_ and usually people in Japan don't eat with Forks. She usually wasn't allowed to throw parties or dinners while my father was out for this notorious forgetfulness. I only heard one complaint from our guests, however. And that came from one of the twins in a very hurried whisper.

"Forks are so American. Aren't we still in Japan? I can't eat with this."

A memory suddenly popped up in my head.

 _"How the hell am I supposed to eat with these?!" I yelled, staring at my chopsticks. They were so foreign. And what about soup? How did I go about eating that?_

 _Father's gaze snapped to me. "We are going to be in Japan for a long time, so you will learn the customs. And watch your mouth! Can you not do anything right, child? She was never like this, you know!"_

 _Mother frowned. "Brendan, please don't bring her up at this table." She turned to me. "Leighton, just… do as your father says." She went back to eating her own food. Silence from her._

 _I grumbled the whole night, but eventually got the hang of it. I sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "I don't think I can do anything right."_

I grimaced at it. We had just moved to Japan. I adjusted horribly, hating the honorifics and the culture and the people. I was a brat and a child and I knew it.

One of the twins, seeming to notice my zoned face, leaned over and whispered, "Are you alright? If you faint, I can always catch you."

I blushed very faintly before turning to the boy. Our parents were deep into conversation. They hardly even noticed us. I examined the redhead before saying very quietly, "I am fine, Hitachiin-san. There will be no need for catching."

And that was the end of that. The twin was hoping I'd say something else, I suppose. Maybe trying to rouse me? I shook it off and continued eating. It did not matter.

"Oh Sophia-san, your daughter is just so adorable. I would love to have her over some day to dress her up."

I turned to the adults, confused as to why the conversation was now suddenly me. I blushed faintly at the compliment and smiled at the woman. I was sure she was joking, only offering a polite jest.

My mother, not liking having the attention diverted, began laughing. "That's my Leighton, just the spitting image of me." She smiled, waiting to be showered with compliments.

Yuzuha, however, shook her head. "Oh yes, she resembles you, but she's got something…different. I see so much life in those eyes." She leaned closer towards me, her face contemplative. "It's like a fire that can't be dampened from any civil waters."

My blush deepened. Who knew the woman was so poetic? I wasn't used to so many compliments. My parents only ever praised occasionally, if at all. "Thank you, Hitachiin-sama. I do believe however that you are much prettier." It was not a lie. The woman had all the right curves in all the right places. It was impossible to not notice.

She grinned. Evidently flattery worked with her. "Oh she's so sweet, too. You've raised a great daughter, Sophia-san."

Soon they were talking again, my mother glancing at me occasionally with both confusion and disdain. My mother was spoiled. She loved attention and got upset when she didn't get it. When I was young I would tell her all about how beautiful she was and that someday I was going to be just like her. Her smile was always a treat. She'd tuck my hair back and whisper in my ear "You'll be even prettier."

That mother was gone now, though. Ever since the incident she had pulled away almost completely. _You know she left you the second the-_

I shook my head slightly. I wasn't going down that road. I needed to keep composure; for now, anyway. I'd had many slips in thought today. "Leighton." My mother called.

"Yes Mother?" I responded immediately. She was most likely going to dismiss me.

"Why don't you take the Hitachiin boys around the house; give them a tour."

I nodded and stood in my chair. Exactly what I was expecting. She didn't like the threat I was posing for attention. "Hitachiin-sans? Would you like to follow me?"

It wasn't long before the three of us were walking quietly. Silently, to put a more accurate term to the situation. I had a feeling none of us truly wanted to be wandering the house, but I couldn't begin to think about what to discuss.

They looked around at our walls. Their expressions seemed to be vaguely interested in the art, at least. Or so I thought. "Hey, Mitchell-senpai. Not to sound rude, but…" The higher pitched one started.

"Where are all of your family pictures?" The other asked.

I froze for only a millisecond. Most people didn't really ask about our choice of decor, but it struck a chord. "All family photos are scattered on the Right Wing. My Parents' wing." I lied. We boxed up our family pictures.

They looked to each other and shrugged. " **So where are you taking us?"**

I sighed. "To the indoor garden." The only actual point of interest in this giant hole of a home, in my own opinion. I decided not to add the last part.

They stopped walking, causing me to turn around. "Indoor Garden?" The deeper voiced twin asked. I nodded. "Don't you think that's a little…"

"Extreme?" I finished for him. I didn't like how comfortable they felt with commenting. Couldn't they just act like good heirs and smile and nod? "Yes, I do actually. But we have a garden in the middle of our house. That is where I am taking you."

I began moving again, but they did not follow. I looked at them expectantly. They were giving each other smirks, which I was not comfortable with. I had heard how two were in middle school. I did not want to be victim of a prank, if that's what this was. Their looks made me mildly uneasy.

"Wouldn't your room be a cooler place to visit?" One of them grinned at me. I think I saw a grin like that in a nightmare once.

The other was quick to jump on the train. "Yeah, Mitchell-senpai it'd be great to see where you sleep and do _other things._ "

I think my jaw might have dropped. I knew the twins were fairly notorious for behavior such as this, but I didn't actually think I would see it in person. Did they really think this was appropriate? "My room is off-limits." I put simply. "To the garden then?"

They whined. Oh my God, were they good at whining. Who taught them that? It was grating. "But Mitchell-Senpai" Deep Voice whined in a sing-song. "Why not?"

"Yeah, we only want to hang out with you."

"Please?"

I looked at them with a grimace. Were they used to being handed what they want? Likely. How childish. Didn't they know that sometimes you must work to get what you want? I shook my head firmly. "My room is off-limits."

They pouted. Oh, they pouted until pouting wasn't enough. They started annoying me; poking and jabbing me. "Hey, Mitchell-senpai, do you have a boyfriend? I'm sure you do."

"Mitchell-senpai, can I meet him?"

"Where's your dad, Mitchell-Senpai?"

"Do you think this suit looks ok on me, Mitchell-Senpai?"

"Mitchell-senpai, can we get a cat together?"

 **"Mitchell-senpai!"**

"Uaghhhhhh!" I growled and twirled on them. I'd had it. If they wanted to mess with me I wouldn't sit and take it. They were a bit surprised by my outburst, but then went back to smiling with victory. "I cannot stand one more 'Mitchell-sempai this' or 'Mitchell-sempai that.'" I mocked their voices. "I will not take this harassment in my own home, do you understand?!"

They blinked at me. "But Mitchell-sen-"

"NO!" I shouted with as much force I could muster in the quiet halls. "No more _Mitchell-senpai_. I am Leighton. I don't care what stupid Japanese honorific you give me, but my name is now, and forever, _Leighton_. If I have to hear my last name one more time I will pull my hair out. Now, we are headed to the stupid indoor garden to cleanse our fucking minds from the God-awful name of Mitchell-senpai." I turned my fiery eyes to them, only to see them chuckling to themselves. "Is something funny?"

One of them looked at me with mischief. "We were expecting a reaction…"

The other looked like he was going to die. "But not one so…"

He trailed off, looking to his twin. They nodded. " **Childish."**

I blushed deep red. I had slipped: big time. "I am not acting childish! You two are! I am acting like any normal human being would after being assaulted verbally by redheads."

A raised eyebrow popped into my view. "Verbally assaulted by redheads? What does that even mean? Is there something wrong with red hair?"

The second twin, which I had a feeling was younger (?), nodded his agreement. "Yeah, you have something against red hair?"

I twitched. "Honestly? I might after today."

They pouted. How do you have an identical pout? "Well that's not fair for you to be so against us. What did we do?" I decided Older One was my least favorite.

I flinched "Fuck the garden, let's just go to the front door and wait for your mother…" They grinned in a manner similar to the Cheshire Cat. I shifted on my feet. "What are you waiting for? Let's go."

"You wouldn't want us to tell our mother how bad of a host you were, would you?"

"Yelling at her guests! How atrocious."

"Unless of course she wanted to invite us to her room."

"Good idea Hikaru! Leighton-chan?"

I narrowed my eyes. Had I _really_ just been talking to them like I knew them? What was I doing? That was the old Leighton. The new Leighton was going to be professional and not have outbursts. That was the second one today. Did I have any dirt on the Hitachiins? I thought for a moment. An invisible light bulb seemed to hover: Haruhi Fujioka=girl.

No, I couldn't use that one. Not yet. Not until I had more on the whole Host Club. Would it be so bad having them in my room? My journal was packed away in my bag, my business folders were all put away, my laptop locked, and old photos boxed up and shoved in my closet. I shouldn't have to worry too much. But I also couldn't make it seem like I was okay with it. Sometimes to win the war, you have to lose the battle.

"Fine." I said curtly. "But you aren't touching anything. Come on…"

…

"Leighton, what does this do?"

"That's a pen, Hitachiin-san."

He pouted. "It doesn't look like a pen."

I sighed and sat up in my bed, snatching it from him. It was really a laser-pointer and a pen, but I wasn't giving the fucking feline a laser pointer. "Just don't play with it." I looked over to the other twin. "What are you doing with my phone!?"

He was currently trying to guess the password, looking around the room for a hint. He'd never figure it out. It was a random stream of numbers. I snatched my phone from him. "Hey, I just wanted to see what generation you had! I haven't seen that one before. Here, you can look at mine." He tossed his phone at me, snatching mine back.

I glanced at the phone in my hands. "Mine hasn't come out yet. It will next month, and you can get one for yourself, because this thing is a little outdated." I looked at the flip phone and grimaced. "When did you get this? 2007?"

He shrugged. "I don't have any use for fancy phones. Hikaru's got a nice one though."

I looked to the other twin. Hikaru is the one with a deeper voice, then. I was slowly learning the difference, but that's only if they are _actually_ calling each other by their names. He was looking around my room with a bored expression. He looked over at me. "Here, take a look if you want."

He threw his phone at me and I compared it to his brother's. Hikaru had much better taste in phones. It was a PineApple SmartUniverse, in black. Our newest addition. "Very wise decision." I commented. I was starting to get into my nerdy side. "SmartUniverse is one of our newest, and the best yet. Well, except mine. That's the 6th generation PineApple Zodiac you've got in your hands, Kaoru."

Both twins looked at me. Oh shit, what did I do? Did I say something wrong? Did I- _oh._ "I-I mean Hitachiin-san." I stared at my hands in embarrassment. I had zoned out again. I was doing it a lot lately. I grew up in England, I couldn't help calling people by their first name. It seemed natural. Maybe because this setting was so relaxed?

"How do you know I'm Kaoru?" He questioned.

Oh. _Is that why they're weird-ed out?_ "You called your brother Hikaru. I just assumed that meant you were Kaoru. Unless of course you were lying just to trick me." I mumbled the last part, but I was certain they both caught it. They shared a look. I felt discomforted.

Hikaru- or at least I thought it was- came up behind me and snaked his arms around my waist. I yelled in surprise, fighting to get out of his grasp. Names are one thing, touching is a very different thing. Kaoru popped up in front, and I was suddenly in a Hitachiin-sandwich.

"You can let go of me!" I yelled at them. This was horribly inappropriate, especially on my bed. My cheeks were redder than tomatoes. I wasn't sure how to react to this.

"Oh Leighton-chan" Hikaru said from behind. His breath was warm and sticky and uncomfortable.

"You're so perceptive. Maybe we should keep you." Kaoru continued.

I struggled to free myself, slightly miffed at the thought of being 'kept.' "That's great and all, but can I please have my body back?"

They both instantly let go. **"You're no fun,"** They pouted in unison. That was a slightly freaky image.

I stuck my tongue out at them, then froze, realizing what I was doing. _Please. You are so childish. You just can't help it, can you? Saying a small quip here, blowing up now and again, and taking a jab there?_ I brought my tongue back where it belonged and stood from my bed. "W-we better get going. I'm sure our mothers are finished conversing."

I rushed to the door and held it open for them. It felt so good to let go, even for a minute. It'd been forever since I could have fun; playful teasing and bickering. I don't know why I had acted like that, though. Was it the twin thing?

Both twins gave strange looks from the bed. Hikaru - maybe? - was now lying down, Kaoru sitting close by. " **But don't you want to join us?"**

I blushed deep red. Well, never mind about feeling comfortable with them. "I-It's wise we go downstairs now. Please remove yourselves from my bed, Hitachiin-sans."

They shrugged and got up. "You're so much more fun outside of school," Kaoru (?) stated as we walked down the hall. I had gotten them mixed up again. "I never even knew you had the capability to blush."

I hid the newest red that wanted to be shown. I chose to not respond, instead leading them to the front room. There Yuzuha was waiting, a big smile on her face. "Boys! How was the tour? Fun I hope?"

They slyly glanced to me. " **Oh yeah. Tons."** I fidgeted nervously, hoping the adults didn't notice the looks. Both women were oblivious.

My mother and I said our partings to our 'friends' and bowed in respect. When I got to Hikaru, he went up to my ear and whispered, "Until next time, Leighton." It made me nervous.

Once they were gone, my mother let out a soft sigh. "It has been far too long since I've had a friend who understands me. I think I just made a great acquaintance. Come, my daughter," She looked at me with happy eyes, "Sit with me a while."

I complied, a bit shocked and wary. She had me sit next to her on the couch, my head resting on her lap. I wanted to cry. She hadn't done this since before the incident. Was she drunk? I looked up at her as she played with my hair. "Oh Leighton. I miss her so much. And your voicemail today…" Her smile cracked and she took a shaky breath. It returned hesitantly. "I missed this, you know." She said as she stroked my cheek. "I want her back so bad, Leighton. I know you do too. Your father, he doesn't understand…"

I didn't want to interrupt. Mother only ever got like this when she was drunk, and she could change moods very quickly when under the influence of alcohol. One word from me might send her into a rage.

"I've never had anyone to talk about it with. Brendan… he wouldn't discuss it with me. I wasn't going to talk about it with you; you were traumatized as it was. The counselor didn't help any…" I felt a drop of salty water hit my cheek. I almost started crying myself. She was never this honest with me, even when drunk. "And all Brendan could think about was how he had to pass on his company to you now. How he would rather die than give it to such a child. I tried, baby. I tried telling him you _were_ a child _."_

I was crying now. Silent tears raining down my made-up cheeks. The only thing keeping me from sobbing was the fear of being thrown out of my mother's lap. Not that it would make a difference at this point. She looked down at me, then scowled. "It was your own fault though, wasn't it? That's what he told me. You were the one who got her killed. You were the one who said to go out. You were the one!"

She was screeching at me now. I quickly got up and off the couch, going to my room as quickly as I could. She was sobbing when I left.

I stared at my ceiling for a good hour. _You were the one that got her killed._ I didn't mean to _. It was your fault though, wasn't it?_ It was a mistake _. A stupid, childish mistake._ I reached under my bed and pulled out the picture. I fell asleep crying silently, clutching the picture as tight as I could.


	3. 3- On the Topic of Flashbacks

**This will probably be a bit short as this reaches the end of what I've written. Please Enjoy :)**

* * *

 _"Leighton! Leighton you can't run on that leg!"_

 _I look back at her, curious. "What leg?" I look down at my foot to see it bandaged and immobilized. "Oh….That leg."_

 _She smiles at me. Her smile makes me so happy. "You can't go hurting yourself. Gosh, and to think you're older."_

 _I frown. "I act so much older than you!"_

 _She goes to reply, but looks past me. I follow her gaze. A small boy, in our class, comes up the hill._

 _"Leighton, should we…?" She doesn't even have to finish her sentence. I giggle and stand beside her._

 _The scene changes. A street. A glowing neon sign. Giggling next to me. Cold breath. I turn my head, a crooked smile gracing my face._

 _"We could go anywhere, really, you know. A park, a game…" Her voice sounds so confident. I'd follow her everywhere. I want her to know how much I love her. I feel the pressure begin to build._

 _"Yeah," I start, "But look. I got us these tickets and I thought maybe if we could just get across this part of town…" I don't want to be saying this. I know this wrong. We shouldn't go! I want to scream at her._

 _Her giggling continues. "Alright, Leigh, but just this once okay?" Of course it will just be this once. I am removed from my own body as I watch them walk. No! I try to scream but no sound comes from my throat. The scene is going black._

 _Everything is black now. I scream silently into the dark. A light comes on. It's a mirror, in front of me. I stare at my reflection in horror. It's not me. It's her. Percy. Her body is so thin. Only bones. I'm crying._

 _Percy! Please! Priscilla! I'm screaming so loud._

Screaming. She screamed, didn't she? _I don't think I remember. I was too shocked._

I snapped out of my daze, my eyes hardening. My brain filtered through the previous hours before sleep. What was that last night, then? With the Hitachiin twins, I mean. _It was like just being around them brought back that childish behavior._ I growled, annoyed. I couldn't be that stupid girl anymore. I couldn't make mistakes. I had a reputation to uphold, a company to take charge of. And-

A possibly delusional mother?

I tilted my head at the woman resting on my couch. Had she passed out in here? My face brightened. Maybe she came to apologize? Or…did she come to yell at me some more? All emotion fled my face. Either way, she was obviously passed out and I had to get ready for school.

"Mother…?" I tried quietly. No response. I didn't want to make her upset. "Mother?" I tried a bit louder. She shifted, murmuring something about her 'lovely daughters'. I flinched. "Mother!" I said sternly.

"Priscilla?" She questioned, still half asleep. Her eyes landed on me, half lidded. "Oh, Percy, did you just wake up?"

I tried not to cry. "Mother, it's me, Leighton."

Her whole face dropped. "Right…Right, of course. I'm sorry Leighton. I didn't mean to bring that up." She looked around her, perfect eyebrows furrowed. "How did I get in your room? Oh goodness what time is it!" She looked at my wall clock and cursed. "I have to be in a meeting in an hour. Oh, I'll never make it in time!"

I bowed my head. "Apologies, Mother. I didn't realize you were in here."

She looked confused. "Why would it be your fault? Did you make me drink so much and pass out in here?"

I myself was confused. My parents always blamed me. Granted, it usually was my fault, but it was still surprising to hear her ask that. She was out of my room in a flash, so I couldn't even ask about her change in attitude. Perhaps she was still deluded?

It didn't take long before I was out the door and into my limo. "Ren?" I inquired sleepily. "Nearest coffee shop. I feel it's going to be another long, boring day."

…

" _Why do they like you so much? What makes you so special?" I spat at her._

 _Percy bit her lip. She was holding back, huh? "They like you just as much, Leighton. They love us both."_

 _I snorted and angrily stomped into my room. "Honestly, Percy, how dumb are you?" It was quite obvious who was the favorite. She was given so much praise._

 _Her face contorted into a grimace. I was hitting nerves. She snarled out, "I'm a whole lot smarter than you!"_

 _I smirked. "Oh really?" She was always so quick to defend. I knew how to get under her skin._

 _"Yes! You should know that."_

 _"Prove it, then." She wouldn't. She didn't actually want to fight._

 _She paused, and then sighed. I knew it. "Leighton this is stupid. You always act like this. I wish you'd just grow up."_

 _I gaped at her. I wasn't expecting her to throw my father's words at me. "Well I wish you'd stop growing up! All you ever do is nag me about how 'silly' and 'childish' I am. We're 10, not thirty!" I shouted at her, dropping my bag on my bed._

 _She laughed at me. "Oh, look who finally decided to count!"_

 _I scowled at her. She_ also _knew just how to get to me. Always. "If you want to act like you're so high and mighty, then why don't you just go hang out with Dad? I'm sure he's got all sorts of fun paperwork for you!" My voice was dripping with sarcasm._

 _She glared at me. "Fine! Maybe I will! Then I'll go bake with Mom, because we all know how far your culinary skills go!"_

 _"Goody two-shoes!"_

 _"Immature brat!"_

 _"Attention hog!"_

 _"Clumsy!"_

 _"Suck-up!"_

 _She looked me dead in the eye. "Failure."_

 _I was boiling. Pure rage shot out of me, not liking this feeling of hurt. Betrayal. "Get out of my room. You aren't welcome here anymore."_

I shakily closed my eyes. They were always there. The memories. Everything I did wrong, there to haunt me. As it got closer and closer towards the day, the more they popped up. Three years. I felt sick just thinking about it.

"Mitchell-san, are you paying attention?" Sensei asked me. I looked up and smiled politely.

"Actually Sensei, I don't think I'm feeling too well. May I be excused to the Nurse's office?" I was hoping she'd buy it. I could easily copy the notes from someone else. You don't cross Leighton Mitchell.

She looked at my funny for a minute, deciphering whether it was real. "I suppose so. Fujimoto-san, would you escort Mitchell-san to the infirmary?"

I narrowed my eyes slightly as I gathered my things. She didn't trust me. I guess I didn't look sick. I'd work on my acting. Just as soon as I found time in my schedule.

Once actually there, I was examined by the nurse. "Well, I can't see anything wrong with you besides the bags under your eyes." Alarmed I put my hand up to my face. Hadn't I covered those today? The Nurse just laughed. "If this were any other school, you'd probably have to go back to class. However, this is Ouran. And at Ouran, any ailment is enough to get out of class." She started to write a few things down. "I'll give you until Lunch to rest, but after that you're getting kicked out."

I smiled at her. "Thank you." I appreciated the nurse's honesty. It was refreshing.

She snorted. "Don't mention it. Gosh darn, you rich kids just get whatever you want, don't ya?"

I was left alone.

I should have used the time for extra sleep. Instead, however, I brought out my phone and checked my messages. Two texts. Three missed calls.

I opened my texts, both from Chika.

 _ **Have you checked your schedule yet? I need a yes/no answer by tonight.**_

 _ **You never check your phone in the morning! I'll just talk to you at lunch.**_

I smiled faintly. In the past two years, I had developed a nice relationship with our newspaper club. Daiki was impatient and liked to rush into things, so the second I walked into Meeting Room 2, he was instantly determined to become my friend. As I've said before, he was very persistent. I just couldn't help but form a friendship with him. Albeit a shaky one, as I often kept back any childish feelings that rose, but it was nice.

Chika was a bit of a different story. She was… eccentric. Her parents had always doted on her, giving her everything she always wanted. Normally this would spoil a child. With Chika, however, it only ignited a want to make sure everyone else got what they always wanted. She joined _Ouran Daily_ when she was a first year, claiming she was going to let everyone know exactly what was going on.

When I came in, asking for something with paperwork, she looked at me funny. She was not the heir to her parents' Coffee Franchise, so she hadn't ever had to do much business-like work. She floated. The day was an interesting one.

 _I grumbled my way into the strange meeting room. I had to make my parents proud. Maybe getting a head start on running something would do me some good. I wouldn't be so much of a screw-up; a failure. So if it meant joining some stupid club, then so be it._

 _Upon opening the door, only about six faces looked up to me. I almost wanted to cry. They expected to run something with six people? No wonder some of the articles were horrendous. Everyone was talking until I walked in. Did they get any work done?_

 _"Hello?" I asked as politely as I could. No need to piss them off._

 _One girl, a 2_ _nd_ _year I recognized as Aki Nakano, greeted me with a somewhat uneasy smile. "Hello…" She trailed off. "Can I help you?"_

 _I nodded. "Yes, actually, I was wondering if I could possibly speak to whomever is in charge? I'm hoping to join." Realizing I hadn't provided my name, I quickly corrected myself. Bowing, I stated "Mitchell, Leighton."_

 _She looked me up and down with her arms crossed. "Well…" She made a face, and then sighed. Turning her back to me, she walked off to an adjoining room. "Just wait here, girl," she threw over her shoulder._

 _I stood there, a bit confused as to why she had acted so rude. Was it something I said? Maybe I had insulted her? I was left pondering for a moment when a new face graced my presence. I raised my head to a boy I knew I had not seen before. He had a big mess of black hair, and light brown eyes. If I had to be perfectly honest, he looked like a lot of the guys in this school. There wasn't much diversity in Japan._

 _"Hi there! You're Mitchell, Leighton right?" He questioned. His attitude was extremely bubbly. "I'm Saito, Daiki; third Year in Middle School. But you should call me Daiki. Formalities aren't my favorite." He grinned at me, grabbing my hand and taking me somewhere._

 _Startled, I tried getting out of the boy's grip. "U-um… Saito-san, where are you-"_

 _He turned to look at me, a calculating look on his face. "I told you, it's Daiki." He said simply. He continued to stare, and then broke into a grin. "I'm going to call you Leighton-senpai."_

 _I blinked a few times. Was this boy on drugs or something? We weren't friends. Japanese people only use first names with friends. "Saito-san, where are we going? I was told to wait over there." I pointed to the spot that I was previously standing. Now we were headed towards another door._

 _He snorted. "Oh, please. Aki-senpai just wants you to think she went to get Chika-senpai. She's in the bathroom." He paused a moment, before continuing. "I don't think I've ever met someone as rude as Aki. And once again, it's Daiki."_

 _I blushed a little bit. I wasn't comfortable using informality. My father had recently drilled it into me. Back in the UK it was a lot easier. If I screwed up here, then everything would be in the gutter. "Oh." I said lamely._

 _Daiki opened the door. The interior was drastically different from the other room. The walls were extremely pink, furniture very… childish, to say the least. Stuffed animals lined the shelves. The desk was obviously expensive, but that was probably because of the custom bear carvings._

 _"Chika! I have a new recruit!" He boasted loudly into the room._

 _The girl sitting at the desk was not at all what I was expecting for Editor-in-chief. She wore the Ouran uniform proudly with a few added pins here and there. Her light brown hair was pulled into pigtails, a childish style I had given up years back. She had dark eyes, but the expression on her face basically canceled out the gloomy feature. She was small and dainty._

 _Her eyes met mine, and she grinned. "Yes! I knew eventually someone would join! I felt it a week ago, didn't I Daiki-kun?" She turned her way to the boy, who nodded enthusiastically._

 _I was a bit taken back at her sudden shouting. I took a step forward, hesitantly stating my name. "I-I'm Mitchell, Leighton; first year."_

 _She bounded over to me, coming to inspect me. "Of course! Yes, yes. I'm Maki, Chika. But please, call me Chika." She was circling me, but I was not threatened. More frightened. "And what position is it that you want? Reporter? Journalist? Maybe pictures?"_

 _I shook my head. "No, no. Nothing like that." She looked to me, confused. "I was hoping for something more along the lines of… paperwork, or financial work."_

 _She stopped examining me to stare me straight in the eyes. An odd look crossed her face. "You mean people actually like that stuff?" She snorted. "I just lock it all up in the closet."_

 _I looked at her incredulously. "What?!" I asked in surprise. "How can you just lock that kind of stuff away?!"_

 _She shrugged. "No one around here wants to touch it. I certainly won't." I looked at the petite girl in front of me. She didn't do paperwork? Did she even go by a budget? She laughed. "If you want to, you can be the Manager. We don't have one of those."_

 _I stared at her. Was she serious? She'd let me join, just like that? She ran over quickly and crushed me in a hug. I cried out in protest._

 _"Oh, Leighton-chan, we are going to be great friends, you'll see!"_

I smiled at the memory. A good one for once. Once I went over her spending, I had wanted to cry. It was horrible. She had no idea what she was doing with anything. Everything worked so much better now, despite losing about half of the staff.

Chika always addressed me as a friend. She always worried, always made sure I received enough attention, and was very nice. At times, she reminded me of-

I shut my eyes once again. No. I wasn't going to torture myself anymore.

I opened my calendar to check my schedule. Today was free, but this Saturday I was supposed to be out with my mother. Sunday was going to be spent studying for the History test on Tuesday. Monday night was club night; Tuesday was calligraphy lessons, Wednesday…

I sighed. So many things to do. I finally got to Friday, grimacing. Father was coming home. He wouldn't like me going out the day of his return. I would have to tell Chika that I couldn't make it.

I spent the next two hours pondering who this random number was and why they called me three times.

…

"That's not _fair."_

I rubbed my temples, not liking where this conversation was going. "I'm sorry, Chika. But I cannot make it to the party. My father is coming home and expects me there for a family dinner."

She pouted. "But it's just not fair! You never get to come to any of my parties. And don't say you will someday, because I'm not buying it."

I grimaced. Was I becoming predictable? She was clearly upset. "I'll make it up to you somehow. Maybe-"

She shook her head. "No. You're going to the party, whether you like it or not. I'll just have to speak to your mother."

My eyes widened. No, she couldn't do that. "Chika-chan, that's not really-"

"No buts!" She pulled out her phone. "I am calling her right now."

I sighed and sank in my seat. My meal was suddenly becoming less interesting. How did she get her phone number anyway? I almost smacked my forehead. Right, she was one of the students there that day my mother introduced her newest line of hair products. She gave everyone a card. Chika was a sucker for anything with her label on it.

"Yes, hi, Mitchell-sama?" She frowned. "It's me, Maki Chika. I was calling about- No, no. It's not a business sale. It's about Leighton."

There was a pause from the small girl in front of me. "No, she didn't do anything wrong." Her glance towards me was concerned. "I'm pretty sure she's doing ok. She said she went to the Nurse's Office, but that was probably nothing to be concerned about." Chika nodded her head pointlessly, despite knowing that my mother couldn't see her through the phone.

I buried my head in my arms on the table. I didn't want to deal with this when I got home. Chika thought she was doing something nice, but she didn't understand. My mother was one pain to worry about, but if Father found out that I was out the day of his return let alone why I was, I would be in deep trouble. I blocked out the conversation going on in front of me.

"Well," Chika said finally. The phone had been placed back on the table. "Your mother says you are going, and that's that. In her words, 'no ifs, ands, or buts.'"

I forced a smile. "Then I guess I'm going. What time should I be over at your house?" I had already fished my schedule out. It wasn't that I didn't want to go, it was that now it was required of me. I could hear the lecture already on social etiquette.

Chika rolled her eyes. "The party is at six but you're coming over at four to hang out and get ready. I need your help and I'm not passing up the opportunity to actually have you relax." She took a bite from her fruit. "Sound good?"

In all honesty it sounded great. I smiled a genuine smile this time and scribbled down the plan in my book. If I was going to be forced to go out, I might as well make a good time out of it. "Chika, sometimes I think you spawned straight from heaven."

She grinned. "I know."

…

One of the great wonders of a Friday night is that I never really know what I'll be doing. Usually I'll have something, but it's almost always last minute. A delivery here, a study session there, perhaps a party that was never mentioned. It was almost a thrill, really. My schedule was always planned out at least a week in advance. The spontaneity was refreshing.

This Friday, it seemed, held a surprise party. This time at the Hitachiin household. My mother called me the moment I got out of school to let me know that we would be going out. She didn't seem as upset about Chika calling her as I thought she would be. It seemed that since our dinner with the Hitachiins, she had lost some of the tension she normally carried around.

"I'm just sad you didn't just ask me. Of course I want you to go out once in a while of your own accord! Besides, it'll be good if you're wearing some of my newest line…"

The event was celebrating Yuzuha's brand new clothing line. She had invited my mother and told her to bring me because 'the boys were excited to see her again.' Of course my mother wasn't going to just deny her new friend's request. Mother said to wear something formal for the event.

Dressing myself up was something I had grown used to in the past few years. Formal was a usual around here. So I looked through my closet and located a suitable dress fairly quickly. This one wasn't as casual as the one worn last night. It was a black halter lined with white gems that dipped straight down to my waist, showing cleavage that I was sure most mothers would disapprove of. The skirt was long and slit up one side to the knee, the black fading into a sea green color towards the bottom. Under normal party standards, I would not have picked it. However, this was one of Yuzuha's. Her favorite party collection. It was her favorite, as I'd heard her say the previous night, and I aim to please. It seemed almost fate that I had this in my closet.

I never really enjoyed putting my hair up, so I curled it and pinned back my bangs with fancy hairpins. Upon my mother's insistence I used her new line of makeup to 'accentuate my features.' Aka I covered up my bags and brightened up my face. The look was complete with my signature wedges. I hated stilettos, so wedges were my best friend.

My mother was waiting downstairs once I got there. "Oh, Leighton, there you are. I was just about to call. You really shouldn't take so long getting ready, honestly." She glanced at me. "Well at least it paid off. I'm glad to see you're wearing Yuzuha's dress. She'll like that."

The somewhat compliment made me both happy and sad inside. "You look wonderful, Mother." I replied with a smile.

"You think so?" She glanced down at herself. Maroon was her color, so most of her dresses were red. The one she chose for tonight had one shoulder that draped down, somewhat like a toga. The rest of her dress hugged her form until it stopped a couple inches above her knee. While I hated regular heels, she loved them. Her white ones went well with her dress. Of course I thought she looked wonderful.

I went to the door. "Definitely. Let's go. We don't want to be late." I opened the door for her.


End file.
